Android Phone Fans |
- 13 of Motorola’s patent claims against Microsoft invalidated
- Buy the Sprint Samsung Galaxy S3 for a penny via Amazon Wireless [DEALS]
- Verizon ranked 1st in JD Power’s customer care survey four consecutive times, while T-Mobile tanks below average
- Blitz Brigade gameplay trailer hits the web [VIDEO]
- Metal Slug 2 for Android now available
- LG Viper 4G LTE gets quick maintenance upgrade
- HTC DROID DNA S-OFF achieved, but at a cost
- Plume update brings refreshed widget, smoother scrolling and more
- Samsung gets mushy for Valentine’s Day with pink Galaxy Note 2
- Will Google go with Qualcomm for next Nexus 7?
- ASUS teaming with Intel to introduce cheap 7-inch tablet?
- A shift in Android’s image: is Galaxy the new Droid? [POLL]
- Hot Deal: Sprint is offering two LG Optimus G smartphones for the price of one [SPONSORED]
- Samsung Galaxy S4 to use touchless gesture system?
- Wikipad announces $249 7-inch gaming tablet for release this spring
| 13 of Motorola’s patent claims against Microsoft invalidated Posted: 07 Feb 2013 08:06 PM PST Motorola has suffered yet another blow in the courtrooms of the world up against Microsoft. Today, Judge James Robart of the district court of Seattle, WA ruled that 13 of Motorola’s claims of patent infringement against Microsoft were invalidated. The claims pertained to the use of three H.264 video encoding patents. Google and Motorola reportedly sought damages in excess of $4 billion per year, but Microsoft fought back claiming Google and Motorola refused to present a solution under the rules of FRAND licensing.
Judge Robart states the claims were too weak and not defined well enough to stand on their own, and that was the main reason for this invalidation. That’s not to say the entire case against Microsoft is lost, but you can bet that Google and Motorola had a lot riding on many of these specific claims. Should Motorola win — and there’s still a great chance the Illinois manufacturer can — the damages might seem a bit punitive compared to what they would have been with these claims decided in its favor. It’s widely believed that Google only bought Motorola for the company’s vast collection of patents, though Google will never outright admit that. The $12.5 billion purchase seems less and less fruitful every day as the collection of patents seem to be sidestepped by opponents without effort. They’re still valuable, of course, but Google might want to start looking at other ways to justify the seemingly expensive blunder it made in purchasing Motorola Mobility, because Microsoft has done nothing short of making the decision seem rather silly with these victories as of late. Perhaps it’s time to put more of that energy toward bringing out the marvelous-sounding “X Phone” we’ve been hearing so much about. [FoSS Patents via Electronista] |
| Buy the Sprint Samsung Galaxy S3 for a penny via Amazon Wireless [DEALS] Posted: 07 Feb 2013 06:58 PM PST Looking for another perfect opportunity to buy the Samsung Galaxy S3 on Sprint? Amazon Wireless has the deal you’re looking for as one of the retailer’s famous penny-pinching sales is going on right now. You can get the device for just one penny if you’re a new Sprint customer opening up a new account, a great price for an initial investment if you were looking to switch carriers.
Of course, those upgrading or adding a line are being treated a bit differently. The former of those types will have to pay $100 for the device, while the latter bunch only has to pay about $60. Fair or not, it’s something we’re used to by now so keep that in mind before jumping too high for joy. In related news, Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy Note 2 can still be had for just $100. Be sure to check that one out if you require something a bit bigger and a lot more powerful. Oh, and our Canadian friends have made enough jokes about getting rid of the little coin that could — aka the penny — over the past few days, but we wouldn’t be opposed to seeing a few more you might have in the comments section below. [Thanks Kolio!] |
| Posted: 07 Feb 2013 06:30 PM PST The usual feeling is that the smaller carriers have the best customer care ratings and the bigger carriers don’t quite stack up, but that trend seems to have been turned upside down in the past year or two. JD Power has released yet another customer care survey report, where it cultivates data from thousands of users in order to see which carriers provide the best support experience.
Verizon ranked first in the race for a fourth consecutive time, giving the carrier a nice, round number to push in its advertising. Big Red credits the strides it’s made with its full-time social networking team. They monitor the likes of Facebook and Twitter to seek those with issues and help resolve them, going as far as extending conversations via direct messaging or by initiating a phone call if need be. AT&T was ranked second in the survey with a few points above average. Sprint was third as the Now Network ranked below average by 9 points. Finally, way on the bottom of the totem pole is T-Mobile, who ranked a whopping 40 points below average. Once upon a time T-Mobile had the luxury of boasting about having some of the best customer service around, but if this survey is anything to go by then the carrier has a bit to worry about. We’re sure not everyone has a horror story to tell in this regard, but we’d love to hear it from you — is Magenta really that bad these days, or do these survey results not tell the whole story? Let us know how your recent calls into T-Mobile’s customer care department have gone in the comments section below. PS: In case you were wondering, Virgin Mobile and MetroPCS topped the list of customer care rankings for non-contract carriers, while the folks at Straight Talk and Cricket find themselves toward the bottom this go-around. Take a look at more of those numbers below.
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| Blitz Brigade gameplay trailer hits the web [VIDEO] Posted: 07 Feb 2013 05:58 PM PST Gameloft is looking to introduce a new shooter soon, if you haven’t heard. It’s called Blitz Brigade, and it should capture the attention of any Orange Box fan. This series doesn’t quite hit that realistic military action that the Modern Combat games look to tackle (or emulate, depending on how you look at it). Instead, it’d be more accurate to liken the game to Valve’s Team Fortress in that it’s a fun and cheeky game that doesn’t try and take itself too seriously. We’d seen a teaser for the game a couple of weeks ago, but now we’re treated to a full gameplay trailer that shows us exactly what we’re in store for. I have to admit that Blitz Brigade shot right up to the top of my list upon seeing this over-the-top cartoonish style, though I’d understand it if it’s not something that works for you. Don’t let the fun graphics and imaginative characters fool you, though: this game is still bloody, gory, and filled with as much devastation and destruction that you can handle. Unfortunately we’re not sure when to expect the title, but with this recent uptick on promotion I can’t imagine the wait will be too much longer from now. Take a look above. |
| Metal Slug 2 for Android now available Posted: 07 Feb 2013 05:14 PM PST When SNK Playmore released Metal Slug 1 for Android, we assumed they’d eventually bring Metal Slug 2. That didn’t happen, strangely enough. In fact, the next Metal Slug game they brought to Android was the third edition. It seems Metal Slug 2 was just on timeout, though, as the game is now available for all to download alongside the other two games in the Google Play Store.
Like the other Metal Slug games, the cost of admission here is just $4 and you’ll be getting insane side-scrolling fun as you run-and-gun your way to General Morden. Your job is to foil his evil plans — whatever they are — with every big weapon and trusty ally at your disposal. The usual faces of Marco and Tarma are joined by female recruits Eri and Fio who will provide backup and bonus items. New weapons, such as the Laser Shot and Flame Bottles, are at your disposal, while new vehicles such as the Slugnoid, a tank, and the Slug Flyer, a fighter plane, will provide you with a more mobile attack. You’ll be able to go through the game’s arcade mode as if you were playing on the classic Neo Geo itself, or jump into mission mode to attack the different levels in whichever order you want. What surprised us was the real-time co-operative play that can be made possible thanks to a Bluetooth connection between two phones. It’s not quite online play, but local multiplayer for an action game on mobile devices in this day and age is still quite impressive. Have a merry go with it here if you can stand to part ways with four measly dollars. |
| LG Viper 4G LTE gets quick maintenance upgrade Posted: 07 Feb 2013 04:45 PM PST LG Viper 4G LTE owners, guess what? Your device has not slipped into irrelevancy! While today’s upgrade isn’t nearly as exciting as the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade it received yesteryear, it does still address some important areas of operation. To be specific, this upgrade improves “LTE network acquisition” performance. We imagine this means that the hand-off from 3G to 4G will be smoother as a result.
That said, we’re sure folks are wondering whether or not the device will ever receive Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Sprint surprised us with ICS, but we’re nearing a year since the Viper 4G LTE’s launch and our initial gut feeling says we shouldn’t be holding our breath. That said, it’s not polite to assume — until Sprint expressly tells us the device won’t be in line for major upgrades in the future we’ll have to believe that anything is a possibility. We don’t want you to get your hopes up, though, so grab today’s maintenance upgrade and be happy knowing that you’re getting an upgrade at all. You know the drill: turn that WiFi on, get your battery up to 50% and check for it in Settings > About Phone. [via Sprint] |
| HTC DROID DNA S-OFF achieved, but at a cost Posted: 07 Feb 2013 04:34 PM PST The HTC DROID DNA has proven to be one tough cookie to crack in a software-only fashion, but it looks like the handy engineers and developers of the Android world have achieved S-OFF on the device. There is one catch, though: the process requires J-TAG, and that’s not something the common user should look to mess around with if they don’t have any experience with deep-level circuitry. S-OFF is an unlock state necessary to flash full custom ROMs on the device. One example would be CyangenMod or most other AOSP-based ROMs. In fact, the CyanogenMod team refuses to develop for any device that doesn’t have its bootloader fully unlocked. So how can you get your device unlocked? Welp, the folks at MobileTechVideos are offering a ship-in service that will have you sending your device off to someone you don’t know. It’ll cost you $45, and that’s before you jump into the headache that is shipping (the cheapest speed for domestic shipping costs $20). We can’t personally vouch for these guys, but even if they prove to be trustworthy it’s probably not worth it to have this done. For starters, it’s likely that very few people would opt to ship their devices off, and even if they did the minimum $65 they’d have to plunk down would turn most away. Developers might be more willing to pay for the service, but where’s their motivation for development? On the flip side, would a common user be willing to get their devices unlocked this way without knowing if the development community will get behind it? We’re appreciative of MobileTechReview’s efforts, obviously, but I’d continue to pray that more safe and less expensive methods come to the forefront. That said, folks are free to make their own decisions and they can park it right here if they need to see a man about an S-OFF method. [XDA via Droid-Life] |
| Plume update brings refreshed widget, smoother scrolling and more Posted: 07 Feb 2013 03:15 PM PST With all this talk about the likes of Falcon and Carbon it’s easy to forget that there are still other fine Twitter clients out there. Plume was one of the first to bring its experience into the age of Holo, and now it’s gotten a rather large upgrade in the Google Play Store. One of the biggest changes you’ll notice is the refreshed widget that brings us a tweaked look and adds support for Facebook.
Beyond that, Plume’s update improves the scrolling performance, an important component of any Android application which uses lists as the primary element for delivering content. You can now view the Twitter profile banner of a user if they set one up, you can send a Tweet anyway if a picture fails to upload, and the app now supports columns for single accounts. Those are all the new features, but some pretty ugly bugs have been squashed, as well. Issues with the pull-to-refresh function, picture cache and the event logger have all been addressed so things should be much more stable in that regard. Plume can be had in free, ad-supported form, but you can also nuke those pesky ads with a $5 purchase of the Premium version. Head to the respective links in the Google Play Store if you want to check it out. |
| Samsung gets mushy for Valentine’s Day with pink Galaxy Note 2 Posted: 07 Feb 2013 02:57 PM PST Samsung is rounding out its color options for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 with a fifth entrant. The device you see below is pink, and the timing of it is not surprising — after all, we’re about a week away from Valentine’s Day. Well, we’re not sure if this “manufactured holiday” is as prominent in Taiwan (where the original press shots were spotted) as it is in America, but we’ll make the connection anyway.
As you might expect, this edition of the device only differs in looks. On the inside, where beauty really matters, everything’s still the same. You’re looking at a 5.5 inch Super AMOLED HD display with a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor, 2GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel 1080p HD video camera, a 2 megapixel front camera, S Pen support, Jelly Bean and more. This specific shade of pink seems to be very pleasing on the eyes, though we didn’t expect anything less — the “hot pink” fad thankfully, and coincidentally, faded alongside the career of artist Pink. That said, we’re not sure how widespread of a launch we should be expecting for this particular colorway but Samsung should be able to spur a few more sales wherever the OEM decides to bring it out. |
| Will Google go with Qualcomm for next Nexus 7? Posted: 07 Feb 2013 01:57 PM PST The Nexus 7 was Google’s first Nexus device with NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset, but it looks like the next generation of the 7-inch tablet could be ditching Tegra 4. According to Pacific Crest analyst Michael McConnell, Google is likely to request Qualcomm’s services for the next generation of the Nexus 7. Specifically, he believes the next small Nexus tablet will house Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro, or a close variation of it. The same chipset was featured in the elusive Nexus 4, and has proven to be a very smooth fitting for that particular device. Like Tegra 3, Tegra 4 is a 4+1 chipset, except it’s based on ARM’s latest Cortex-A15 architecture and is supposed to bring us massive gains in performance.
Google’s reasoning for possibly wanting S4 Pro is unclear, but the biggest reasons appear to be cost (Qualcomm seems to be cheaper) and “a decision to single-source the application processor and 3G/4G modem to simplify logistics and create a fully pin-compatible platform interface.” Whatever the reason may be, we can’t say we’d be disappointed either way. 2013′s crop of chipsets all seem fantastic in their own ways, and we’re just excited to know that Google might soon be ready to introduce a new Nexus 7 at all. We may not see it at Google I/O, and we may not even see it before the the fall, but if something is coming then we’re fine with whichever route Google chooses to go. [Barron's via Unwired View] |
| ASUS teaming with Intel to introduce cheap 7-inch tablet? Posted: 07 Feb 2013 01:22 PM PST
ASUS has enjoyed a very effective two-prong approach to the tablet space. It introduced some of the finest high-end tablets that the Android world has seen thus far with the Transformer series, and it made some pretty important waves in the 7-inch budget category starting with the Nexus 7. It seems ASUS found something it liked there as that was followed up by a budget-priced MeMo, and the latest murmurings are suggesting the Taiwanese company will look to bring something even cheaper than that to market. ASUS is said to be teaming up with Intel to bring a very cheap 7-inch device to market. The reported specs will include Intel’s Atom Z2420 dual-core chipset, 1GB of RAM, a 3 megapixel primary camera with a 1.3 megapixel webcam, 1280×800 resolution, a 4,720mAh battery and will run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. If true, ASUS is said to be trying to best its sub-$150 price point it achieved with the latest MeMo Pad. That’s pretty amazing for a tablet with these specs. It would be another milestone development for Intel whose biggest influence in the realm of mobile Android devices have been the Motorola RAZR i and several cheap smartphones for emerging markets. It would be a natural fit for ASUS if the company’s goal is to get this device as cheap as possible. This leak doesn’t really have us questioning “if” as much as “when” and “can they really get it something like this on the market that cheaply?” The answer might not come at one of the biggest worldwide mobile conferences later this month, but we have a feeling it won’t be long before we’re hearing more about this ambitious venture. Would you bite for $150 or less? [via Tablet.bg] |
| A shift in Android’s image: is Galaxy the new Droid? [POLL] Posted: 07 Feb 2013 12:52 PM PST
There’s been a lot of talk these past few days that normals — you know, soccer mom’s and Joe Schmo’s — are now equating Android with Samsung’s Galaxy branding. This after the term “Galaxy” almost trumped “Android” in web search interest for the month of December, 2012. Shocking, I know. But does this really mean Galaxy has now become synonymous with Android? If so, could this be bad for Google’s business?
You may remember when the Motorola Droid was first released. It was the first Android phone available exclusively for Verizon Wireless and it had a marketing budget to take the Apple iPhone head-on. An onslaught of print and television ads quickly followed its release with the slogan “Droid Does” still embedded into consumer’s minds. While this seemed great for those rooting for Android’s mobile OS dominance, it quickly became an annoyance for fanboys. From that point on, it seemed like everyone was asking, “Is that one of those new ‘Droid’ phones?” No matter if it was a Motorola device or not. Android had officially became known as Droid. Today, things look much different. You’ll notice that the search term “Droid” has almost completely fallen off the graph with a web search percentage so low, it’s barely noticeable. Why the change?
Well, a new report from Localytics is now showing that the the top 10 Android devices by users is dominated largely by Samsung and their Galaxy lineup: Galaxy S3, Galaxy S2, Galaxy Ace, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note 2, and Galaxy Y. Brand recognition is a very powerful thing among consumers. Is it really much of a stretch to think that, like the Droid back in its heyday, consumers are now associating Android (the mobile OS) with Galaxy? I don’t think they are. They could simply be associating Galaxy with Samsung’s smartphone brand. Like the iPhone is to Apple. While I fail to see how this could be bad business for Google and Android (did the Droid branding really hurt Google in the end?), the Android OS was created with the flexibility and for the sole purpose of manufacturers to skin it, brand it, and make it their own. Unless Samsung gets so cocky they completely abandon Android and the Google Play Store in the process, Google shouldn’t be too worried what consumers call it, just so long as they don’t call it an iPhone. I’m sure one day we’ll have a Nexus device so popular, your mom and friends will all ask, “Is that one of those Nexus phones?” In which case we’ll finally be able to turn to them and reply, “Why, yes. Yes it is.” Here’s to hoping the rumored Motorola X Phone is just such a device. So, I’m curious. Now, that we’ve taken a good look at all these charts and graphs, is what they’re hinting at really true? Has anyone ever asked you if your non-Samsung Android phone was a “Galaxy?” Oh, and it doesn’t count if your phone is, in fact, a branded Galaxy device. |
| Hot Deal: Sprint is offering two LG Optimus G smartphones for the price of one [SPONSORED] Posted: 07 Feb 2013 12:05 PM PST
Getting a top-of-the-line smartphone doesn’t necessarily mean you have to break the bank. Sprint is holding one of the sweetest deals we have seen in a long time, offering two LG Optimus G smartphones for the price of one. All you need is a $199.99 spending budget and a 2-year agreement for your name to be all over a pair of Optimus G’s. The AndroidTM 4.0 LG Optimus G is no weak contender, and it happens to be one of our favorite smartphones of 2012. The device is truly a beast. Clocked at 1.5 GHz, the device flies. You can see it in action in our review, and even sources like PC Magazine crowned it the fastest device available. Need more? LG Optimus users also benefit from great multitasking by using Q-Slide. This feature happens to be my favorite in the LG Optimus G, as it takes multiple window view to another level by allowing you to control opacity of multiple windows. The screen is also amazing, featuring 4.7 inches of True HD IPS Plus screen real estate. Furthermore, the device has a stunning 13 MP camera and 32 GB of storage, so you will more than likely never run out of storage for your awesome shots and HD videos. Not a bad deal, right? Go to Sprint’s website for more details if you want to sign up for it! You won’t regret it, guys. I actually miss my review unit, and I can’t say that about many phones I have checked out lately. Note: while this article was written by Edgar Cervantes it was sponsored by our friends at Sprint |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 to use touchless gesture system? Posted: 07 Feb 2013 10:48 AM PST
Aside from the latest cutting edge specs, Samsung typically uses their flagship Galaxy S line to showcase a few less conventional technologies. Last year we saw the Galaxy S3 feature a few natural motion gestures that allowed users to interact with their phone in an intuitive way. For example, motioning as though answering a call by placing the phone to one’s ear would complete the task without ever touching the display. A new report says Samsung will expand touchless gestures in the Galaxy S4. According to Korea’s DDaily, Samsung will be deploy an Atmel chip capable of processing gestures within the range of the screen without the need to actually make contact. Think of it as an advanced version of Sony’s “floating touch” system. Samsung will likely attempt to recreate many of the same features of the Galaxy Note 2′s Air View functionality, but the new sensor would eliminate the need for a stylus to make it happen. We can also imagine gestures such as “flicking” above the screen to scroll through pages or home screens. A patent filing uncovered last year could hint at more. If the system catches on, expect to see it in future Samsung handsets moving forward. The Galaxy S4, though, could act as the launchpad for a system that could redefine interactions with our smartphones. Or it could fall flat with users, a curious one-off taking advantage of the Galaxy S series’ popularity. [via PocketNow] |
| Wikipad announces $249 7-inch gaming tablet for release this spring Posted: 07 Feb 2013 09:16 AM PST
Wikipad has a new 7-inch slate headed for release this spring. Priced at $249, the tablet continues the Wikipad tradition of combining “the unrivaled gaming experience of a console with the functionality and portability of a premium tablet.” You may recall Wikipad’s initial 10-inch offering, which has yet to see the light of day after it was delayed indefinitely from it’s October release. Wikipad says that slate is still forthcoming. Meanwhile, the 7-inch version will feature the same specs and features, including an attachable game controller. The tablet is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, sports an IPS display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 16GB of internal storage expandable via microSD, and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Wikipad’s President of Sales Fraser Townley says, “The smaller frame delivers an aggressive price while keeping the same amazing specs.” We’ll be happy to see Wikipad deliver anything. The events surrounding the delay of the original Wikipad are hazy, and had many tossing around the vaporware tag. While there is still no word on when we will get our hands on the 10-inch model, if things work out we’ll be seeing its little brother on shelves in a matter of months.
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